Timeless: The End
by thepiratemistress
Summary: With Barbossa's return, Alice's heart could not be happier - or heavier. As they set on the task of freeing Jack and prepare to battle the East India Trading Company, Alice must figure out how to handle conflicting elements from her new life and her old one. Mostly canon; faithfully follow AWE, and includes events that happened between DMC and AWE.
1. Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Reunion

_"So tell me, what's become of my ship?"_

_Alice choked on the rum in her throat, coughing roughly. _IT CAN'T BE_... She turned and ran into the shack, shoving the others out of the way to get to the bottom of the staircase, and froze._

_Standing before her was none other than a very alive Hector Barbossa._

Alice stared in shock, her heart leaping into her throat. On the bottom landing of the staircase, Hector Barbossa - alive, in the flesh - stood tall and proud, Jack the monkey on his shoulder, and a freshly bitten green apple in his hand. His eyes were wide and he stopped chewing, the juices still running down his chin.

"ALICE!" The apple hit the ground with a dull thud as she and Barbossa threw themselves at each other in unison. They clung tightly to each other, tears immediately coming to Alice's eyes as she felt herself enveloped by home. She took a deep breath: He smelled like musk and seawater and rich earth; like sweet rum and dark tobacco and summer storms. His warmth touched her very bones and made her racing heart swell. He released her all too soon, but gripped her by the upper arms, gazing deep into her bewildered eyes.

"Yer still here," he said in amazement. He suddenly released her left arm and grabbed her hand, lifting it. He gazed at the ring for a moment and his eyes shot back to hers. "An' yer still _mine_," he growled quietly with a smile and pulled her close to him once more. She felt him press his face to the top of her head and suddenly went still.

He seemed to have realized that they were still in a room full of people, and his hold softened. He cleared his throat, and Alice released him, turning to gaze at the room.

"I'm sure ye all be havin' a whole mess o' questions fer me," he said in amused annoyance. One arm was still gently around Alice, telling her to stay by his side.

"I got a few," Ragetti said, his face still stunned but now smiling.

"Master Ragetti, I'm glad to see yeh 'ere still, all _wide-eyed_," he chuckled, and Ragetti goofily chuckled in return. "And Master Pintel is still wit' ye, I see."

"Kept 'im alive for ya," Pintel added, and Ragetti gave him a playful push. "Ey!" Hector chuckled, before he spoke sternly.

"We've got quite a lot of plannin' ta do, if we've any hope of rescuin' that pest what calls himself a 'Captain', and were it up ta me, I'd say let 'im rot in that purgatory. But that doesn't seem ter be the case." He gazed around the room. "It's been a long night already, though, so I'll grant ye the time of one drink to scratch yer itchin' minds. The rest can wait fer mornin'."

They were all seated around a long table, hanging onto Barbossa's every word as he chatted with them to some degree. _He sure loves his mystery_, Alice thought with a warm smile as she sat beside him at the head of the table. He spoke animatedly when he was excited, she noticed, and took a reserved position when he didn't want to speak on a subject further. He didn't give much in the way of details on his resurrection, nor did he speak much on _why_ they were going to World's End to get Jack. He seemed to speak in riddles more than ever before, and Alice wondered if that was an after-effect of his previous condition. She noticed several times that she could feel the heat of him near her, and it made her heart skip a beat.

She also noticed, with a bit of pain, Paul's sullen face. He sat furthest away from them, absently drinking his rum, and shooting her the occasional glances. His eyes were filled with confusion and worry, and a deeply masked hurt. He was always quick to look away when he caught her eye, looking either at objects in the room, into his drink, or at the table itself. She knew he saw what had occurred on the stairs, and that he noticed the way Barbossa would look at her and smile - a smile that seemed to convey he was happiest about being alive again because she was there. She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, though she also felt that she had no reason to. She hadn't told Paul about Barbossa because, well, he was _dead_. She figured there would be plenty of time for them to discuss it at some later date, when she had further figured out her current feelings for him. _He has no right to be upset about this_, she thought. _Not after what he did to me_. _But I also know this comes as a bit of a shock_, she sighed. Alice's main concern was whether Paul was worried that they might decide to leave him behind, especially once the captain found out who he was.

"Alright, ya feckless pack of ingrates," Barbossa said with a jovial grin. "The hour bein' what it is, get some sleep. Tomorrow we begin our plannin'." There was some groaning and sounds of discontent, but no arguments. Barbossa laughed pleasantly at them and stood.

"C'mon, Missy," he said to Alice, holding his hand out for hers and pulling her gently to her feet. "You and I have quite a lot o' catchin' up ta do." Alice smiled at him lovingly, before looking across the table for Paul. But he was no longer there.


	2. Chapter 2 - Moonlight

Alice followed Barbossa up the stairs, her hand in his firm but tender grip. Though the staircase itself was rather short, he glanced back at her at least three times, as though he was afraid she might not be real. The upstairs portion of the shack was similar to the downstairs, with bottles, herbs, and miscellaneous items crammed onto shelves, hanging from rafters, tossed in piles, or spread across tables. Tattered canvas and fabrics were tacked to the ceiling to form loose semblances of rooms, giving the area an almost ethereal look. Alice's heart jumped as she saw the bed tucked away in the corner of the room they entered. In the shock and surprise of seeing him alive again, the thought that he might want to immediately take her to his bed had not crossed her mind. If the captain had noticed her surprise, he didn't let on. He walked them to a small table that was half in the room and half on the balcony, set with candles, two glasses, and a bottle of wine. He turned to look at her, his hand still gripping hers.

"Alice," he whispered, his free hand reaching up to stroke her cheek. She noticed the moonlight reflecting off of his skin, and her heart skipped a beat; this was him - complete, alive, uncursed. "I thought I'd ne'er see yeh again in the flesh; that our time together would only be possible when yeh visited me nightly in my dreams, or kept me company daily in my tasks and wanderin' thoughts." His eyes were wide again, and the mottled-blue shone brightly even in the dimly lit room. "Come, sit with me," he said softly, guiding her toward one of the chairs. He sat down in the other chair, pouring them each a glass of wine. He took her free hand in his once more.

Her beaming smile faltered slightly, and she looked at the hand holding hers, lifting it and running her thumb over his knuckles.

"I watched you _die_," she said quietly and shook her head slightly. "I held your stiffening body... Stared into your empty eyes... Kissed your cold lips..." She looked at his face again and saw it was full of pain and sadness. "I thought... I mean, I never imagined..." She trailed off, trying to find the words in her haze of aching memories.

"Why did yeh stay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I mean, the device... It wasn't working, and I gave up on it, but-"

"No," he said, and she was taken by surprise. "I meant, why'd ye stay a pirate, sailin' with these motley fools? Why not settle down somewhere quiet, an' live a safer life?" It was his turn to be surprised as she let out a bark of laughter.

"You're serious?" He looked at her quizzically. "I stayed a pirate because... because of _you_." He raised his eyebrows at that, and Alice laughed softly. "It was quiet for a little while but, the moment I heard the Black Pearl had been seen again... Even in the hands of Jack Sparrow, she was still home - she was still _you_." The corner of his mouth tugged into an odd smile, but Alice's face fell, and she gripped his hand tighter. "Watching her be dragged down by the kraken... It felt like I was losing you all over again," she finished in a whisper. He released his wine glass and cupped her face tenderly.

"But I'm here now," he said, using his thumb to wipe away the tear that had escaped. "And I'll ne'er leave yer side again. No matter what."

"Hector," she breathed, and the smile returned to her face.

"I came back fer yeh," he whispered. "Fer even the fleetin' chance ta be with yeh. An', if y'weren't here... I wanted ter still breath the sweet air what once carried yer breaths." His thumb ran across her bottom lip as she let out a pleasant sigh. Her loving eyes gazed at him, and his hand moved down her neck and across her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. "Besides, if it weren't fer you, I wouldn' even be sat here."

"What do you mean?" she asked with some confusion, and he chuckled.

"The witch said 'twas you who gave yer blood to save me." Eyes suddenly wide, Alice turned over her left hand and looked at the faint scar along the underside of her ring finger. "'_By blood undone_'," he smirked, and her eyes snapped to his. She let out a small laugh. He lifted his glass. "I'll drink ter that." Alice raised her glass and clinked it gently to his before taking a sip. He sighed pleasurably. "I also missed the wine." The pair laughed softly.

"Why, though?" She asked.

"Hrmm?"

"Why did she decide to bring you back to life? And how did she even know?" Barbossa swallowed the wine and set down his glass, eyeing her for a moment.

"Tia Dalma is more'n she seems," he started. "She ain't like those charlatans peddlin' charms an' mystical wares 'round the ports and in the courts. I knew yeh saw a bit o' what she could do when she helped you lot find Davy Jones and his cursed ship, an' more than that now yeh've seen me back here alive before yeh, an affront ter nature. But the short of it be that there're a number o' Pirate Lords what sails these world's seas." Alice remembered the early conversation she had with Mr. Gibbs.

"You're Lord of the Caspian Sea, correct?"

"Aye," he said. "And Jack be Lord o' the Caribbean. Both of us died without naming a successor, hence why she wanted ter bring me back."

"So, it wasn't just to see me?" she teased playfully, and he gave her a wry look.

"I'd have fought th' Devil himself to be sittin' 'ere with yeh," he grinned. "But that be precisely why she specifically brought me back."

"Then why can't she bring back Jack? Does she need more blood, or-"

"Nay," he cut off her questioning. "Yeh see, Jack ain't just dead; no. He be a prisoner o' Davy Jones 'imself, bound ter serve an eternity in a place worse than any nightmare yeh can imagine."

"And we're to go there and rescue him?"

"Aye," he said before taking another sip. Alice stared at him for a moment before taking a large drink.

"And this is possible?" Barbossa barked out a laugh.

"There be a world o' wonder out there that ye nay have ever thought possible; things not found in ordin'ry places, nor on ordinary maps wit' th' limitations of their rigid stricture. Not everything can be defined by what most want ter see. Or can."

"Like islands that can't be found except by those who already know where they are?" He raised his glass to her and chuckled.

"Precisely." He looked out over the swamp, and Alice took in his moonlight-bathed facade as he took a deep breath. "I had forgotten that yeh could feel the moonlight, just as one can the sun." He closed his eyes and smiled.

Alice reached out slowly and touched her fingers to his face, startling him. He let out a low laugh and leaned into her touch.

"I remember the firs' time yeh touched my face," he whispered. "The deep ache of wishing I could feel it; wantin' nothing more than ter know the sweet warmth of yer caress." He sighed pleasurably and closed his eyes as she softly stroked his skin. "Many a night I dreamt of nothin' more'n that."

She reached up her other hand to cup his face, and he shuddered in delight. He opened his eyes to gaze at her, but the moonlight sparkling off the ruby in her ring caught his attention. He reached up and took her hand. As he stared at the ring, his smile was bemused.

"Yeh still wear it," he continued in a whisper. "Can't 'ave given up too much hope, nor could yeh 'ave had much more, if yeh kept yer promise to a dead man." Alice smiled as he ran his thumb over the band.

"I took your name, you know," she said softly, and his movements stilled. "Said I was '_Dagger Alice, the wife of Hector Barbossa_'." He stared at her for a long moment. Alice worried that she offended him in some way as he got to his feet but, still holding her hand, he pulled her up. Releasing her hand, he put his on the small of her back, pulling her close. His free hand swept her hair back from her face.

"Yeh may be wond'rin'," he started, his breathing slightly ragged, "why I didn' kiss yeh when I first' saw yeh again." Alice's eyes searched his. "'Twas because I had ter know. With everythin' 'at happened before, and our time together so quick and fleetin', I had ter know fer certain that, after all this time, yeh were still wantin' ter be _mine_." Alice nodded her head gently.

"I do," she breathed, realizing how close his face was to her own. She heard the hitch in his breath.

"Alice," he whispered, and his lips were immediately pressed to hers. They were soft - much softer than she had imagined - and warm, tinged with the delicate tang of the wine.

The kiss started out gentle, but with a heaviness that conveyed to her that he still wanted her just as much as she still wanted him. As its intensity increased, she pressed her tongue into his mouth, eliciting a tender moan from him. His fingers tangled in her hair, and she realized they were moving across the room. He pulled her down gently with him on the bed, the kiss unbroken. As his hat fell back, she gripped fistfuls of his hair, and he rolled her beside him, still kissing her with wild passion. He slid his hand along her side, gripping her hip as he still pulled her close.

She felt him soften the kiss, slowing it to a less urgent speed. Her hand stroked his back through his heavy coat, fingers flexing over his hidden muscle. He cupped her head with the hand she was resting on, and sighed softly into her mouth, pulling away slightly. She gazed into his shadowed eyes.

"It's been quite a long time fer me," he spoke quietly. "An', as much as I be wantin' to ravish every inch o' ye, I'm not quite ready yet." He chuckled lowly at her look of concern and stroked her face. "With a future so uncertain, waitin' hardly seems like the thing either o' us want ta do. But I been dead a good while, an' I be wantin' ter give yeh somethin' better than what I'm currently capable of." Alice nodded gently. "Besides, bein' able ta simply feel yeh in me arms be as good as gold righ' now."

Alice curled close to him. She had waited this long for him, she could wait a little while longer.


	3. Chapter 3 - Weakness

Barbossa's fingers twisted gently in her dark hair, and Alice sighed contentedly, pressing her face tighter to him.

"I'm curious, though. What was the situation what led to yeh callin' yerself by me name?" Alice stiffened slightly. She knew she would have to tell him her story eventually, and she supposed now was as good a time as any.

* * *

Barbossa had been angrier than she had ever seen him, and she sensed that he had wanted to shout, but he kept his voice to a low snarl. His grip on her had tightened until it became painful. She let out a soft aching noise, and he loosened his grip, apologizing.

"At leas' he got wha' was comin' ter him," he said at the end of her tale, a soft menacing in his voice. "Though not tor't'rous enough fer my likin'." Alice made an apologetic face. "The specific situation aside, the thought of another touchin' yeh..." He let out another quiet growl, squeezing her hip tightly.

"Er..." she started, and he sat up, looking down at her seriously.

"Alice..." There was a slight warning in his voice.

"A lot happened while you were dead," she replied, sitting up beside him. "And I would rather you know the truth about everything." He was still, but gestured for her to continue. "There was... a moment... I shared with someone."

"Yeh slept with another man," he said plainly.

"Yes. While you were _dead_," she reiterated, and he sighed.

"I know there be nothin' I can say about that, nor do I begrudge ye for takin' that opp'rtunity," he said reasonably. "But tha' don't make it any easier ter know." Alice nodded in understanding. "Was it at least worth it?"

"I think we both needed to feel something other than dread in that fleeting moment."

"Were it that broodin' swab what sat at the end of the table stealing jealous glances at yeh?" Alice let out a small humorless laugh.

"No, but there's something you should know about him, too. But we can come back to that." Barbossa eyed her warily and was quiet for a moment before he made a face of disgust.

"Don't be tellin' me t'were Sparra'," he cringed, and Alice's chuckle was genuine that time.

"No! However," she bit her lip and then sighed in exasperation. "I'll admit, in a drunken moment of foolishness I did try to." Barbossa looked horrified. "You've nothing to worry about there - he said I reminded him too much of you for him to even consider it."

"But... why?" He eyed her with uncertainty.

"A moment of weakness," she said honestly. "I felt so alone, and so uncertain about my future, and I had done naught much else but cry over you," she heard his breathing catch in his throat. "I was tired of feeling only sad or numb, and I wanted to shock myself out of it some way." Barbossa sighed and ran his hand over his sparse beard.

"And that other fellow... At the table?" It was Alice's turn to sigh, and she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her bent knees.

"Do you remember that day I told you about my past?" He nodded. "And I told you about the man who broke my heart?" His eyebrows knitted together.

"But how?"

She explained how she had happened upon him on Isla de Pelegostos, and how he had come to this time. Barbossa leaned forward and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Things sure were easier when I were dead," he said.

"For you!" she replied with a glare, and he chuckled, wrapping an arm tightly around her.

"An' I'm guessing ye told 'im all about me. Alice..." he growled at her look of worry when she didn't answer. "Bloody fuckin' hell." He dropped his arm.

"I thought there would be more _time_," she said sadly. "So much happened from there on, that there was never a good moment for us to talk things out. I'm sorry," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"Do yeh still want him, then?" His tone was guarded.

"No," she said honestly, shaking her head. He eyed her skeptically. "Look, I still love him, Hector. Very much so. But I plan to talk to him about it. Just understand that it won't be easy for either of us." He looked at her silently for a long beat.

"Anyone else I ought ter know about?" Alice shook her head.

She was surprised when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and sighed.

"I'm not a man ter let go of treasure," he said, his chin resting on her head. "And you mean far more ter me than any treasure ever possibly could. I'd kill a man just fer lookin' at yeh, if you wanted. And there be no telling what I would do ter any man what tried ter take yeh from me."

They settled back into the bed, holding each other close once more, and were quiet for a long while.

"Hector," Alice broke the silence. "Should we get out of at least _some_ of these clothes?" His soft laugh calmed her worried heart.

* * *

The next morning Alice awoke well-rested for the first time in entirely too long. Her sense of calm was quickly replaced with panic as she realized she was alone in the bed, and she sat up quickly. Barbossa's laugh caught her attention.

He was sitting at the small table, basking in the hazy sunlight. Wearing only a loose ivory shirt and dark trousers, Alice had never seen the man so relaxed. Jack the monkey sat on the balcony outside, chittering happily.

"I be havin' a memory of seein' yeh wakin' in much the same manner once before," he chuckled. Alice jumped from the bed and ran over, throwing her arms around him, squeezing him tight. "Wha' in the blazes?"

"I thought for a moment that I had imagined it all," she answered, still clinging to him. "That it had all been a very convincing dream." He let out a loving chuckle.

"I be as real as ye right now," he said, pulling her onto his lap. He kissed her forehead, his whiskers scratching pleasurably against her skin as he nuzzled her. Alice leaned back and looked up at his face, reaching out to stroke his cheek. "I'll not be leavin' yer sight again, missy," he told her softly. "Not so long as I can help it." Content with his words, Alice kissed his cheek and moved from his lap, setting in the chair beside him. She let out an amused snort as he resumed what he had been doing before her waking interrupted him - eating a crisp, green apple.

"How long have you been back, anyway?" She asked, wondering why it wasn't one of her first questions.

"Since jus' after ye lot left, actually," he answered after swallowing. "Wanted nothin' more'n ter chase after yeh, in fact. But I hadn' even the strength of freshly hatch'd bird." He sighed. "I've still not got all me strength return'd, truth be told, so we won't be embarkin' on no quests for a time, still."

"That's understandable," she said thoughtfully. "But how long can we realistically wait before we do?"

"That be quite the question," he answered wearily. "What with th' East India Tradin' Comp'ny makin' any moves they can ter take o'er the seas, we be havin' ter act faster than any o' us would like."

"An now dey 'ave the 'eart of Davy Jones," came a sadly melodic voice. Alice looked over to see Tia Dalma collecting some herbs that were drying from the rafters.

"Tha' can't be so!" Barbossa said suddenly. But Alice was deep in thought.

"_James_," Alice breathed, and Barbossa's eyes snapped to her.

"Come again?" She looked in his eyes, her brows furrowed.

"James Norrington, formerly of the British Royal Navy. He joined our crew at Tortuga... and he saved our lives at Isla Cruces." At Barbossa's look of confusion, she continued speaking. "Davy Jones' crew was on us, and he ran off with the chest to draw them off. He must have somehow escaped and taken the chest to the East India Trading Company."

"Dat he did," Tia Dalma added grimly. Barbossa set his elbow on the table, his face pressed into his free hand.

"Then we have ter be movin' even faster than I thought," he sighed.

"Time might not be entirely on our side, but de time is not yet," Tia Dalma said. "You canna go on a journey so tryin' 'til ye a bit stronger."

"We cannot wait," Barbossa barked angrily.

"You _can_ wait, and wait ye _will_," Tia Dalma snapped, her face angry. "You gon' get dem all kill'd, rushin' off like some fool when yeh can' even stand on your own two feet for more den a few moments."

"Blast ye, witch-"

"I din' let you go chasin' after yer own 'eart when yeh firs' awoke, neither, because what could you 'ave done? Hrmm? We all need you stronger if yeh gon' make dis journey. You _know_ dis to be true!" She finished with a firm finality, glaring at Barbossa. When he didn't have anything further to say, she gave him a sharp nod. "_Good_," she said, and left the room, making her way down the stairs.

Alice had not seen the woman angry before and, despite the witch's slight frame, it terrified her. Barbossa let out an exasperated groan.

"I know she be right," he growled. "Doesn't mean I'm glad fer it."

"At least it gives us time to plan," Alice said.

"Aye," he conceded. "This isn't ter be a fool's errand. There be many factors we have to consider, and it will be no simple task." He let out an annoyed sigh. "Best we rouse the crew an' start our discussin's." He gazed at the apple in his hand. "Hey!" he shouted as Alice took it from him, taking a bite of it herself before handing it back. Barbossa grinned at her slyly. "Yeh know, in some places tha' means we now be married."

"Including here?" Barbossa laughed.

"_If only_..."


End file.
